Graham has strong words for North Korea in stop at Laurens City Hall

US Senator Lindsey Graham made a stop at Laurens City Hall on Wednesday afternoon for a Washington roundtable update with community leaders.

Graham spent about an hour speaking to the group, including a series of questions and answers from those gathered.

Graham’s three main topics of discussion were healthcare, tax reform and infrastructure. Graham also had some comments on North Korea and President Trump’s harsh words for the leader of that country.

Graham spent time talking about Obamacare and how to replace it.

“We need to take the money spent on Obamacare and block grant it back to the states,” said Graham. “South Carolina would do pretty well. There needs to be equal contributions from the government so there is parity and flexibility. It’s an eloquent solution to a complicated situation. Healthcare is not dead. We will take another shot at it.”

When it comes to infrastructure, Graham talked about the need for better roads and bridges in South Carolina. “We are letting things fall apart,” said Graham. “We need a national infrastructure project that will rebuild infrastructure that we all use and will benefit from. It will have great dividends to the economy.”

Tax cuts was one topic that Graham said needed to be addressed in the coming months. “See if we can cut taxes to jump start an economy that wants to grow,” said Graham. “Between tax cuts and regulatory relief, I think we’ll give business people a shot in the arm that will help us all.”

As Graham took questions, topics ranged from trade and immigration, workforce development to the failed nuclear plant in SC.

Graham closed his talk with some serious comments on North Korea. His feeling is that there is no upside to letting them get stronger.

“Everything we’ve done before hasn’t worked,” said Graham. “We have cajoled them, we’ve sent them wheat, we’ve sanctioned them and nothing is working. The bottom line is that Trump doesn’t have any place to kick the can. Everybody else talked tough and did nothing. Now we’ve run out of runway. They’ve got nuclear weapons. They are not going to stop until somebody stops them.”

Then Graham posed the question…do you try to contain them or do you stop them?

“How about this idea,” said Graham. “Tell North Korea to stop threatening us and stop trying to build a nuclear weapon that can hit America and we’ll leave them alone.

They don’t think that America really means what they say. Trump is in the camp of denying them the capability to hit America with a nuclear-tipped missile. That’s exactly where I think he should be.”

Graham sees China as being a key to relations with North Korea. According to Graham, China owns 90 percent of the North Korean economy.

“You’ve got to convince China that we are serious about denying them the capability,” said Graham. “Tell China exactly what the red lines are and let them tell North Korea that if you go over this line you will pay a heavy price and mean it. I do believe that with credible military force on the table that North Korea will behave differently because they know they would lose a war with us but they don’t think we will do what we say.

Graham echoed his support of President Trump and how he is reacting to North Korea.

“Trump is in a bad spot,” said Graham. “You’ve got two bad options. Containment which I think won’t work or a war to stop it, which I think would be catastrophic. I want China to have two bad options. Tell them to deal with the nut job in your backyard or deal with a war in your backyard. We are running out of time. People can criticize President Trump all they like but on this issue, everything before has failed and I stand by him to deny them the capabilities to hit America. I don’t want a war but if there’s going to be one, North Korea is going to lose it.”